Clasp



Mar. 6, 1923.V

J. E. RHODES.

lll

lll ne llllllllm Il. Il.

State of New Jersey,

Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

JOHN ELs'roiv EHonEs, or

TEANECK, NEW JERSEY.

CLASP.

Application ilediJuly 19, 1922. Serial No. 575,927.

To allwhommayconcera:

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of T'eaneck, county of Bergen, and

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Clasps,

of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to clasps, and more particularly to clasps of that character generally used in connection with stocking or hose supporters.

It is the primary object and purpose of m present improvements to provide a clasp ofy very simple construction consisting of two complementary parts having co-acting means operating to'securely hold or grip the stocking Veither when the same is subjected to tensional pull or when it is com- 4 paratively `loosely held, and ywithout danger of breaking the threads of the fabric or otherwise injuring the stocking.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a clasp for stockings or other fabric articles which is of such construction that although the two parts of the clasp may `be manually manipulated and easily connected or disconnected, said parts when in assembled relation upon the stocking will not be liable to 'accidental disconnection so that the stocking may be released.

character which is of exceedingly durable construction and which, when applied and in use, will be inconspicuous.4 To this end, I preferably make the parts of the clasp from imitation ivory, celluloid or other suitable composition material which may v be readily colored so that the parts of the clasp will harmonize with the color ofthe stocking or other garment.

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the improved clasp and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated 1n thev accompanying drawing and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims. In the drawing wherein I have illustrated several satisfactory and desirable embodi ments of the invention and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Be it'known that I, JOHN ELsroN RHODES;I

Figure 1 is an elevation showing one form of the invention that is used in connection with a hose or stocking supporter;

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is al similar view showing the relative position of the parts in the act of clasping 'the stocking fabric;

Figure is a detail elevation of the clasp showing the parts separated; and

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are views corresponding to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 respectively, showing another way in which the parts of the clasp may be connected to the elastic webbing of the hose supporter.

Referring in detail to the drawing and more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3 thereof, I have shown the lower end portion fromone end to the other and at its wider It is a further general object of the invention to provide a devicev of the above end 1s provided with a rectangular opening 11. The narrower end of the part 9 is formed with an eye 12 in which one end of thestrap or tape 8 is permanently secured. The other part 10 of the clasp like Wise tapers or gradually decreases in width from one end to the other, the narrower end of said part being of app'reciably less width than the length of the opening 11 in the part 9. This narrower end-of the part 10 terminates in a relatively thick neck portion 13 extending at right angles to the .plane of said part and having a thickness appreciably less than the width of thev opening l1 in the part 9 asl will be seen from reference to Figure 2 of-the drawing. The' end of this neck 13 is formed with a relatively broad flat rectangular head providing flanges 14 at the opposite sides of said neck portion, the width of said head being appreciabl. jgreater than the width of the opening 11. At its wider end the part 10 is likewiseprovided with an eye 15 to which metal loop 6 the' other end of the strap or tape 8 is permanently attached.

In the application 'of the claspl to the stocking, the part 9 is disposed upon the outer side of the stocking fabric at its upper edge and part 10 on the inner side thereof. While the part 9 is held in a substantially vertical position, the part 10 is moved to an angular position with relation thereto, as seen in Figure 3 of the drawings until the flanged neck 13 thereon may be projected outwardly through the opening 11 in the part 9. The stocking fabric or material may thus'likewise be forced outwardly through said opening so that when the parts of the clasp are disposed in parallel relation to each other, as seen in Fig. 2, the stocking material extends around the flanges 14 and is gripped or held between the same and the part 9 of the clasp at the opposite edges of the opening 11 therein. The flanged head of the neck 13 provides a relatively wide area with which the stocking material has frictional contact. It is further to be noted that the material has frictional gripping engagement with the neck 13 and the edge of the opening 11 substantially for the entire length of said opening so that a great number of threads of the fabric are frictionally engaged or gripped by the parts'of the clasp, thereby di-stributing the strain, and to a great extent, obviating liability of breakage of the threads and tearing of the stocking fabric as would be likely to occur if the entire gripping strain was applied t0 only a small number of the 4fabric threads. Due to this extensive area of frictional contact of the stocking material with the parts of the clasp, the stocking is held against movement or slipping between the interlocked parts of the clasp even when there is no strain or pull upon the stocking. Thus, when the wearer assumes various postures, the parts 0f the clasp will always remain in their initially applied positions relative to the upper edge of the stocking or,in other words, there will be no relative movement between the stocking and the clasp.

It will further be observed that since the part 10 tapers in an opposite direction with respect to the part 9' of the clasp, the projection of the neck portion 13 through the opening 11 will be limited by the approach of the side edges of the part 10 to the end edges of the opening 1\1 in the part 9. Therefore, only the requisitev amount of the stocking material to extend over the flanges 14 will be projected through said opening andI it will not be necessary t0 subsequently adjust the stocking after the parts of the clasp have been connected. Since it is ossible to connect the parts of the clasp on y when they are disposed in predetermined angular relation to each other, as seen in Figure 3, it will be apparent that the possibility of the clasp parts accidentally moving from their normal positions, as seen in Figure 2, to such relative angular positions where they might become disconnected, is practically eliminated. However, the parts of the clasp may be manually disconnected by a reversal of the operation above described.

In Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings I have shown an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein One end of the inelastic tape or strap 8 is pe'rn'ianently attached to the loop 6 carried by the elastic webbing, while the other end of this tape is permanently attached to the clasp member 9. In this instance, the tape or strap 8 is loosely engaged through the eye 15 in the end' of the other clasp member so that said member may be readily shifted upon the tape to the proper angular position with relation to the complementary clasp member for the purpose of connecting or disconnecting said members, as shown in Figure 7 ofthe drawing. The application and manner of operation 0f the device is otherwise identical withthat previously referred to.

From the foregoing description considered in, connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that I have produced an exceedingly simple. durable and easily operable clasp for use in connection with stockmg supporters and for various other anal- Y ogous purposes. The parts of the clasp may be made in various sizes and of metal, Celluloid, imitation ivory or other suitable materials. Also, it is not essential that the complementary parts or members of the clasp shall have the particular shape or form herein shown, though I have found in practice that such form of said members gives the best results in actual use. When the parts are connected, they lie perfectly flat and will, therefore, occasion no inconvenience or discomfort to the wearer. They also may be readily colored so as to harmonize with material of the stocking or garment.

I Vhile I have herein shown and described several satisfactory and'preferred embodiments of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that the device may also be incorporated in numerous other alternative structures, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

A clasp of the character described, comprising two complementary parts, one of said parts having a rectangular opening and the other of said parts terminating at one of its ends in an angularly extending neck having flanges atits opposite sides and extending the full length of said neck,'the anged flanged portion of the neck portion of said neck being of greater width than the width of said opening and adapted to be projected through said openingof the first named part only when said parts are disposed in certain predetermined relative angular positions and said flanges overlying the opposite edges of said opening when the parts are subsequently arranged in substantially parallel relation to each other.

2. A clasp of the character described, comprising two complementary parts, one of said parts having a `rectangular opening, and the other of said parts terminating at one of its ends in an angularly extending neck corresponding in form to said opening, but of' slightly less dimensions to substantially occupy the entire area of' said opening and said neck having a portion of greater width than the width of said opening to prevent movement of said neck through the opening when said clasp parts are disposed in other than certain predetermined relative angular positions, said neck extension and the first named part frictionally c-o-acting with the material engaged by the clasp along' substantially the entire length of said opening when the clasp parts are arranged in parallel connected relation.

3. A clasp of the character described, comprising two complementary parts, one of said parts having an elongated opening and the other of said parts terminating at one of its ends in an angularly extending neck corresponding in form to said opening but of slightly less dimensions and said neck having oppositely projecting flanges, the being of greater width than the width of said opening to prevent movement of said neck through the opening when said clasp parts are disposed in other than certain predetermined relative angular positions, said nec-k and its flanges and said first named part frictionally coacting with the material engaged by therclasp parts and having binding engagement therewith along substantially the entire length of said opening at one side thereof when the parallel contermediate the longitudinal edges thereof to the body of said part and adapted for interlocking engagement through said opening, and said parts being constructed to provide means coacting to positively limit the extent to which said second named part may be projected through said opening in the operation of effecting an interlocked relation of the parts.

5. A clasp of the character described,y comprising complementary parts, each gradually decreasing in width fromone end to the other, one of said parts being provided with a rectangular opening in its wider end and the other of said parts terminating at its narrower end in an angularly projecting head including a neck having a flange at each side thereof' extending the entire length of said neck and providing a portion of greater' width than said opening and adapted Vto be projected through said opening when the parts are arranged in predetermined relativel angular positions, the divergent side edges of said second named part acting to limit the distance to which said terminal head may be projected beyond said openings by the coacting of said divergent edges with the end edges of the opening, the flanges of' said terminal head overlying the opposite side edges of lsaid opening when the-:parts are disposed in substantially parallel relation and said head having frictional gripping contact with the material engaged between said parts along one edge of said opening substantially over the entire length thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereunder.

JOHN ELSTON RHODES. 

